Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar Detector

BACKGROUND

I have had Escort Radar detectors all the way back since they were owned by Cincinnati Radar and the detector had an analog signal meter and was the size of a the entire box the new ones come in.

I've since been through a 4500, 5500, 7500 and now I own both an 8500 and an 8500 X50.

Through the years the detectors have been the best on the market and the only reason I upgraded was for better technology.

8500 vs. 8500 X50

The 8500 and 8500 X50 are very similar with only a few differences. The processor is supposedly different so the 8500 cannot be flashed to the same firmware as the X50.

The X50 adds a slightly noticeable increase in Ka band and a new feature called "POP."

"POP" is a new feature that was added (and turned off by default) to counter act police pulsing the Ka guns. The pulsing can make many detectors either miss the signal or show a weak signal. The problem with "POP" is that it WILL false often when turned on. And if you're speeding make your stomach drop when you hear it.

Other than that feature the detectors have amazing range and are pretty customizable... WHEN THEY WORK.

Only Complaint

Just after a year of having the 8500 it began showing "Self Cal" and then "Service Required" every once in a while until I could not even turn it on with out the message. The sensors inside WILL show "Service Required" if you leave it on in a HOT car. Just restart and usually you're good to go.

The X50 also suffered from the same demise. About a year and a half after buying it I noticed one day that a "Check your speed" sign was telling me my speed but my detector showed no sign of K band. About 5 minutes later the detector again said "Service Required."
I called ESCORT and they told me the standard "Hold all three buttons down and reset it." I did this and it DID seem to work for a day. The next day I stumbled on a cop running radar and again NOTHING on the detector. I quickly reset the detector and drove back past and then it picked up the K band.

I've since sent in both for out of warranty service 60 for the X50 and 80 for the 8500 repairs (you get a new one year warranty).

Within a day I started getting "Self Cal" messages on the X50 and now "Service Required" messages. I must say I am rather disappointed in the quality control on these units. For the amount of money you pay for the X50 blue (340) you'd expect it to work! They will pay for the shipping back to them but it's still not much of a consolation for not having a detector for almost a month.

Conclusion
This is a great redar dectector and beats other brands hands down. The V1's directional gauge is neat to look at but of no value except added price. If you are new to the Escort Radar family or detectors in general I suggest you check out "http://www.escortradar.com/x50.htm" for a full list of the features and definitions of (X, K, Ka, and Laser)